Fishing Blue Lake in Northwest Territories, Northwest Territories

• Overview

  Look for Blue Lake in the Northwest Territories part of Northwest Territories. Land around it is spruce and muskeg. Surface area runs to roughly 9.46 sq km, so plan for one area rather than the whole. You have roughly 74 km of edge to choose from, which rewards a scouting trip. For a base, Baker Lake sits 419 km out. Saskatoon sits 1112 km out, and it is the nearest city worth the name. It sits well inside the county, so one set of rules covers it.

• Where to Fish on Blue Lake

  No depth figure has reached our records, which makes a plummet useful. A natural lake fishes on cover, and cover here means weed and timber. This is a lake, so the margins and the first drop matter most. Read Blue Lake for ten minutes before the first cast goes out. Cover your ground slowly and you will find the productive stretch.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Long-term averages put July at about 14°C and January near -29°C. Open water arrives late and leaves early, which concentrates the fishing. Hard water holds through the cold months, breaking up near early June. Averages suggest open water from about early June through to roughly mid October. The strongest runs come at either end of the open season. Plan any trip to Blue Lake around it.

• Tackle & Baits

  The paperwork position is blank for this one. It formed naturally, so levels move with rainfall rather than with a gate. Access is unmapped, which usually means a farm track and a walk. Look for a notice board at the entrance. Night access is frequently treated as a separate matter. If the gate is shut, Barlow Lake at 40 km is the nearest alternative. Rules at Blue Lake are worth checking on the day.